Spring 2007 - ACTRA Toronto

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Spring 2007 - ACTRA Toronto

Display until June 2007 $4.60
ACTRA’s strike demo outside the offices of the CFTPA.
Photo: Peter Baker
“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”
John Lennon
When we gave notice to bargain the Independent Production
Agreement VIPAW last spring, we knew it was going to be a tough
round. We had been following the negotiations between the
Canadian Film and Television Production Association VCFTPAW
and the other unions and guilds and the news was not promising.
The producers’ trade association had set an aggressive tone,
playing the technical unions off against one another, bullying
them into concessionary deals. They were saving us for last,
hoping that an established pattern of rollbacks, particularly
with our branch in British Columbia, would soften us up.
They tied other unions up in bargaining for 18 months. We gave
notice that we would not bargain beyond the expiry of the IPA.
Only when the Union of British Columbia Performers VUBCPW
rejected the engagers’ outrageous proposals, did the CFTPA
agree to give us bargaining dates, consenting to begin negotiaT
tions on October 23 for an agreement that would expire on
December 31.
With 160 proposals on the table, we were given 15 days at the
table to negotiate the IPA that we will all have to live with until
2010. Even the CFTPA conceded that getting a deal on time
was going to be a challenge.
ACTRA was well prepared. We had reached out to the memT
bership through focus groups to create proposals written by
members, put these proposals into enforceable language and
assembled a strong negotiating committee.
2
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
We were prepared to answer ridiculous demands for deep cutT
backs that would have set performers back 15 years. We were preT
pared to make the case for a fair and reasonable industryTstandard
increase for performers’ pay and to argue for the improvements
to the contract our members had told us they required.
But there was a fly in the ointment. The CFTPA negotiators
weren’t consistent. They weren’t reasonable. And they wanted
the internet for free.
Which gets me back to John Lennon.
Because the internet is what’s been happening to our industry
while we were busy making other plans. The internet is everyT
thing we’ve ever done, everything we’re doing now and everyT
thing we are going to do.
“The CFTPA negotiators weren’t consistent. They
weren’t reasonable. And they wanted the internet
for free.”
Read the news. Steve Jobs. Bill Gates. The CEO of Motorola.
All the studios. The kids in the cyber cafés. Folks in the street.
They’re all saying the same thing. The internet is everything.
As the internet replaces familiar distribution models,
ACTRA’S FIRST-EVER
STRIKE
by Karl Pruner
President’sMessage
Bargaining team members Ron White and Alberta Watson in a tense period of bargaining during IPA negotiations.
Photos: Kim Hume
“Because the internet is the past, present and future of everything we do, it is vital that we set good terms for
the recording and use of performances in the digital frontier.”
businesses built on those models are
under intense pressure to adapt. There
is a lot of flailing around and gnashing
of teeth. The Hollywood studios are
like a bunch of angry, frightened
dinosaurs as they try to come to terms
with the digital world.
It is good advice to stay out of tight places
with dangerous animals U places like the
bargaining table. Which explains our
approach to bargaining and the internet.
Because the internet is the past, presT
ent and future of everything we do, it
is vital that we set good terms for the
recording and use of performances in
the digital frontier. We cannot afford
to make a bad deal on this stuff
because performers will have to live
with this deal for a long time to come.
All the work that migrated to DVD on
such terrible terms for creators is set to
migrate again to the net. The studios
want to keep their dragon’s hoard of
DVD earnings and watch it grow
through exploitation on the internet.
Whether we like it or not, we find ourT
selves on the front line of the most
important battle performers will fight in
the next 25 years. It is as big a fight as the
original fight for television rates, as the
fight for residuals, and it is bigger than
the continuing fight for a fair share of
DVD revenues.
As I write this, we are five weeks into the
first strike in our union’s 64Tyear history.
On February 9, the producers walked out
on negotiations with us for the third
time and our industry struggles as
Hollywood withholds work from Canada
in an effort to extort a bad deal. This isn’t
good business practice or even real capiT
talism at work. It is exploitation and
brute economic force in the service of
greed. The claws of the dinosaurs are
sharp. They hurt.
Such work as there is continues only
because of ACTRA’s interim agreement
strategy, allowing productions to conT
tinue during the strike so long as they
meet our pay demand. The legality of
these agreements Vand of our strike
itself W is being challenged by the
CFTPA in the courts, in an effort to
shut the industry down completely. All
in all, the situation would seem to be
grim. And yet...
For the first time in 10 years, performers
across Canada are sending the same mesT
sage to engagers. Our brothers and sisT
ters in UBCP have refused to knuckle
under to the Hollywood studios. In midT
February, they left their bargaining table
to join us at ours.
SPRING
2 0 07
3
Top Photo:
Peter MacNeill and Eric Peterson listening
intently to ACTRA’s team during the last day
of talks before negotiations broke down in
December.
President’sMessage
Photo: Kim Hume
Left:
Karl speaking to a packed members’
meeting on ACTRA’s strike at Isabel Bader
Theatre at the end of January.
Photo: Jag Gundu
Other unions have suffered internal diviT
sions under the pressure ACTRA is now
facing, yet our unity is becoming
stronger. Many of our brothers and sisT
ters in other unions and guilds are frightT
ened at the prospect of a protracted
work stoppage. Their jobs are on the line
with ours and in their anxiety to get back
to work, some will inevitably blame
ACTRA for their troubles.
“Other unions have suffered
internal divisions under the
pressure ACTRA is now facing, yet
our unity is becoming stronger.”
This is why the leaders of DGC and
IATSE and NABET are invited to
attend our bargaining sessions, to
observe our deliberations and negotiaT
tions. In spite of their frustration with
this dispute and their eagerness for a
resolution, they understand the issues
and ACTRA’s position.
Most importantly, they have heard our
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A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
repeated proposals to move the internet
issues off the table into a side committee
so that everybody can get back to work.
This has been our position from the
beginning.
It took six years to reach an agreement
with the National Film Board on internet
terms and after six years, negotiations
with the CBC are still continuing. The
CFTPA’s notion that we could conclude
a deal on the internet in 15 days was
never realistic.
During one of the last round of talks,
the producers took eight hours negoT
tiating with themselves to prepare a
proposal on the internet. We offered
a counter proposal, which they
ignored, preferring to resubmit their
initial proposal formally so they
could catch planes and send a press
release. This seems like a manipulaT
tive manoeuvre but I think the real
problem is much simpler. In the end,
I believe that they just didn’t have
sufficient consensus in their own
room to have a dialogue with us.
The IPA negotiations were
hijacked by the sudden arrival of
the future. Our plans had to
change because life happened.
Because the net happened.
Suddenly, we were asked to bargain the
terms that will govern how all performT
ers are to be paid in the future. Or else.
“Give us the net for free,” said the
engagers,” or else there will be no
American work.” “Give us the net for
free,” said the engagers, “or we will
attack your union and the validity of
the contract in the courts.” More
claws. More teeth. We bargained
patiently, working for a fair settlement.
During the strike we fought to keep
productions up and running while
working out the terms of a fair and reaT
sonable deal. And we got one.
ACTRA’s firstTever strike ended on
February 21 after six weeks.
continued on page 21
Contents
performers
The magazine from ACTRA Toronto
Spring 2007 • Volume 16 • Issue 1
PUBLISHER
Lyn Mason Green
[email protected]
EDITOR
Chris Owens
[email protected]
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Lyn Mason Green, Kim Hume, Dan Mackenzie,
Chris Owens, Karl Pruner, Brian Topp
DESIGN and LAYOUT
Erick Querci
[email protected]
ADVERTISING SALES
Karen Cowitz
[email protected] 416T461T4627
CONTRIBUTORS
Peter Baker • Judy Barefoot • Lynne Boni
Dave Broadfoot • Barbara Chilcott • Joy Corion
Ferne Downey • Jag Gundu • Tracey Hoyt • Kim Hume
Shawn Lawrence • Dan Mackenzie • Lyn Mason Green
Laura McKelvey • Freda MerrittTGambrill • Tereza Oliveiro
Chris Owens • Karl Pruner • Kimberly Samnang
David Sparrow • Carol Taverner • Brian Topp
PLEASE ADDRESS EDITORIAL
CORRESPONDENCE TO:
Performers Magazine
c/o ACTRA Toronto Performers
625 Church Street, Suite 200
Toronto, ON M4Y 2G1
Fax: V416W 928T2852
[email protected]
JOIN THE TEAM
If you’re an ACTRA Toronto member or apprentice and want
to write an article, contribute original artwork or photos,
we’d love to hear from you.
Send an email to [email protected]
Printed in Canada by union labour at Thistle Printing.
THE NEXT COPY DEADLINE IS
May 1, 2007
The magazine invites members to submit notices of births,
marriages, obituarites and letters to the editor. Article submisT
sions must be sent via email [email protected] We
reserve the right to edit or omit any material for length, style,
content or possible legal ramifications.
Performers Magazine is published three times a year by ACTRA
Toronto Performers. The views expressed in unsolicited and
solicited articles are not necessarily the views of ACTRA
Toronto Performers, its council or this committee.
Publications Mail Agreement number 40069134
ISSN 1911T4974
2
6
President’s Message ACTRA’s firstTever strike
by Karl Pruner
ACTRA Awards in Toronto a profile of our nominees
and an introduction to our new voice award by Tracey Hoyt
10 Wendy Crewson: Culture Champion an interview with ACTRA
12
Toronto’s 2007 Award of Excellence recipient
by Ferne Downey
Victor Mark Lutz wrote and stars in the television movie about the
triumph and tragedy of Olympian swimmer Victor Davis.
14 Members’ News ACTRA’s CRTC lobby, the Archives Project,
17
18
23
the end of Blue Man Group in Toronto, the Gemini and Genie
awards, Shaw and Vidéotron threaten CTF and more
Many thanks to our generous sponsors
of the ACTRA Awards in Toronto 2007
ACTRA Toronto’s Fall Conference highlights
Status of the Artist appears to be Status Quo
by David Sparrow
26 In Memoriam • Welcome new members • Announcements
30 ACTRA Toronto council and staff listings
6
10
12
14
18
ACTRA Award winners
Maria Del Mar, Gordon Pinsent
and Wendy Crewson.
Photo: Jag Gundu
www.actratoronto.com
On the cover:
Kris HoldenIRied
photographed by Kim Hume.
5
A Victory for Voice
The new ACTRA Award for
outstanding voice performance
by Tracey Hoyt
ACTRA Toronto’s 2007
Award of Excellence
Wendy Crewson
see our profile of this
Canadian culture champion
on page 10.
Award
nominees
ACTRA Award for
Outstanding Performance – Voice
Len Carlson, Atomic Betty (posthumous nomination)
Ellen-Ray Hennessy, Di-Gata Defenders
Tajja Isen, A tomic Betty
Ron Rubin, Erky Perky
Adrian Truss, Jane and the Dragon
ACTRA Award for
Outstanding Performance – Female
Martha Burns, Slings & A rrows
Maria Del Mar, Terminal City
Deborah Grover, 11 Cameras
Martha Henry, A t The Hotel
Kristen Thomson, Away From Her
ACTRA Award for
Outstanding Performance – Male
Chris Bolton, Rent-A -Goalie
William Hutt, Slings & A rrows
Don McKellar, Monkey Warfare
Gordon Pinsent, Away From Her
Michael Therriault, Prairie Giant:
The Tommy Douglas Story
The winners of the award in each
catergory have been highlighted.
6
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
Voice acting requires great talent and skill U whether the
medium is narration, radio drama or animation.
ACTRA Toronto member Adrian Truss, a gifted voice
actor and series regular on the animated series Ruby
Gloom, Erky Perky, Totally Spies and Atomic Betty, felt it
was high time that The ACTRA Awards recognized the
talented voice actors, “who not only specialize in it but
excel at it here and abroad.”
Adrian wrote a letter to the editor of Performers Magazine,
and later voiced his concerns in an article. The response
was positive. Finally, as a member of the ACTRA Awards
committee, Adrian spoke up.
His efforts U and those of other likeTminded members U
paid off. 2007 will be the inaugural year for the ACTRA
Award for Outstanding Performance U Voice at the
ACTRA Awards in Toronto.
In the fall of 2006, ACTRA Toronto members nominated
voice performers for the first time in the awards’ fiveTyear
history. In early January of this year, the voting juries, made
up of ACTRA performers, narrowed each performance
category down to five nominees, and the finalist jury,
including highTprofile voice performers, made their decisions.
On February 23 at The Carlu, ACTRA members and
staff will celebrate and applaud the efforts of the 15 talT
ented nominees for the ACTRA Awards including, at
long last, the voice award.
There could very well be some extra hooting and hollerT
ing for this new award, so be sure to warm up your voice.
TwoTtime Gemini Award nominee
Tracey Hoyt acts with her voice a
good deal of the time. Currently, she
has recurring roles on the animated
series 6Teen, Delilah & Julius and Bob
and Margaret. Tracey has also voiced
hundreds of commercials for radio
and television.
The ACTRA Awards in Toronto
took place Friday, February 23, at
The Carlu in Toronto. The Awards
Gala was hosted by Patrick
McKenna. Paul O’Sullivan was the
scriptwriter. The awards show feaT
tured a performance by ACTRA
member and singer Amanda
Martinez. The ACTRA Award statT
uette is by Adrienne Alison. Many
thanks to the generous sponsors of
The ACTRA Awards in Toronto
2007 Vsee page 17W.
ACTRA
Award for
Outstanding
Performance
U Voice
Len Carlson
Len Carlson’s long
acting career for
film, TV and stage
started in Seattle,
Washington and
included principal
acting roles ranging
from The Verdict,
Race For The Bomb,
The Henry Ford Story
and The Deejay, for
which Mr. Carlson
received an Emmy nomination. As a highT
ly soughtTafter male voice in both
Toronto and New York, he appeared in
more than 2,000 animated cartoon
episodes juggling as many as eight differT
ent characters per show. His vast body of
work also included directing and voicing
300 animated shows for CBSTTV’s
Captain Kangaroo, The Undersea Adventures
of Captain Nemo and several episodes of
Disney Channel’s The Raccoons. Voice aniT
mation credits include Beetlejuice,
Carebears, Racoons, Roboroach, Beyblade,
Berenstain Bears and his ACTRA AwardT
nominated Atomic Betty. Mr. Carlson
passed away in 2006. His agent Richard
Menich says, “I think Len felt his job was
never quite done until he’d made you
laugh.” He is much missed by friends and
family.
Ron Rubin
In the past 30 years
of
her
career,
actor/director/
teacher ElleyTRay
Hennessy has perT
formed in more
than 180 theatrical
productions across
Canada, the U.S.
and Europe with
multiple
awards
and nominations
for acting and directing. Ms. Hennessy
plays Mme. Liezelle in DiMGata
Defenders, who she describes as “A crazy,
witchTy, psychic, morphic thing that
never dies. She predicts the future, and
she’s possessed.” Recent voice credits
include Spider Riders, The Very Good
Adventures of Yam Roll in Happy Kingdom,
Harry and His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs,
Rolie Polie Olie, Sons of Butcher and the
voice of the Nicorette monster. Ms.
Hennessy is a soughtTafter voice instrucT
tor and is creating a voice school.
“There’s a real need for animation teachT
ers. It’s a very specific form, very differT
ent from the rest of our working body.”
She recently directed an animation proT
duction in Berlin, Germany, and just
curated the gala for the International
Interior Design Show.
WinnipegTborn vetT
eran actor, writer,
and voiceover perT
former Ron Rubin’s
versatility and range
is recognized throughT
out Canada and the
United States. He
feels extremely forT
tunate and honoured
to be among those
nominated for the
first ACTRA Award for outstanding voice
performance. Over 25 years, Mr. Rubin’s
vocal characterizations on countless aniT
mated series include principal roles in the
Emmy AwardTwinning Beetlejuice, Angela
Anaconda, XMMen, Flying Rhinos, Kratts
Kreatures, Sailor Moon, C.O.P.S., Police
Academy,Avengers and the recent Care Bears
“Big Wish” Movie. Current animated projT
ects include Friends and Heroes, Harry and
His Bucket Full of Dinosaurs, Captain
Flamingo, DiMGata Defenders and Erky
Perky. Mr. Rubin studied acting at the
Neighbourhood Playhouse, has appeared
with Second City and toured North
America as a featured standTup performer.
DiMGata Defenders
Tajja Isen
Atomic Betty
With such a strongT
voice industry in
Canada, 15TyearTold
Tajja Isen takes
great pride in this
nomination for
ACTRA’s new voice
award. She landed
her first voice role
as ‘Sister Bear’
VBerenstain BearsW at
age 10. Since then,
she has voiced lead roles for more than
20 animated series, including Atomic
Betty, Jane and the Dragon, Disney’s Jojo's
Circus, Weird Years, Time Warp Trio and
Meteor. Ms. Isen can be heard singing the
themes for seven animated series and has
released an album with KOCH VU.S.W for
Atomic Betty. She won the Young Artist
Award for Best Voice Performance two
years in a row. Ms. Isen also appeared on
stage as Young Nala in Disney’s The Lion
King. Currently, Ms. Isen is combining
her classical piano training, singing and
writing talents to launch her own popT
rock album with production set to begin
early in 2007.
Erky Perky
Adrian Truss
Jane and The Dragon
TheACTRAAwardNominees
Atomic Betty posthumous nomination
Ellen-Ray Hennessy
Actor/writer/direcT
tor Adrian Truss’s
eclectic career has
included live perT
formances with
Second City and
episodes of SCTV.
He helped form the
infamous
improv
troupe Illustrated
Men which toured
throughout North
America and staged a highly successful
production of Waiting For Godot at
CanStage. Trained at Ryerson Theatre
School, Mr. Truss has written and directed
several stage plays including Dragonhead,
Retribution and Tale of the Scorpion which
were well received in both Toronto and
Los Angeles. He has also written episodic
TV VPuppets Who KillW and for the last three
years has written the wellTreceived
ACTRA Awards in Toronto. In voice, Mr.
Truss has performed original roles in many
highly popular animated series including
Bob and Margaret, Mischief City, Atomic
Betty and the Emmy AwardTwinning Rolie
Polie Olie among many others. He is nomiT
nated for his work on Jane and the Dragon, a
Nelvana/Peter Jackson’s WETA Studio coT
production.
SPRING
2 0 07
7
ACTRA
Award for
Outstanding
Performance
U Male
TheACTRAAwardNominees
Chris Bolton
8
RentMAMGoalie
Chris Bolton stars
as Cake in RentMAM
Goalie which he coT
writes with Graeme
Manson. Thrilled to
be nominated, he
says, “It made me
realize we’re doing
it right. This is an
ensemble nominaT
tion for sure. I play
the straight man to
a bunch of lunatics. So long as I can keep
from laughing...” Shooting for the second
season began in February, and in the
spring, Mr. Bolton is one half of a twoT
man team cycling 5,000 kilometres in
Race Across America raising funds for
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
the Sick Kids Foundation. Georgian
Entertainment, Chris’ production comT
pany with ACTRA member Chris
Szarka, has a number of projects in the
works. RentMAMGoalie was profiled in the
Fall 2006 issue of Performers Magazine.
William Hutt
Slings & Arrows
Ac t o r / d i r e c t o r
William
Hutt’s
extensive, awardT
winning career has
included appearT
ances on Broadway,
London’s West End
and across Canada,
the U.K., Europe,
Australia, and the
U.S. He is best
known for his work
at Stratford, from which he recently
retired. Upcoming, he will be appearing in
the sequel to H2O, Trojan Horse. Past
awards in film and television include James
Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night
VGenie AwardW, Sir John A. Macdonald in
The National Dream VGenie and ACTRA
AwardsW and Bernard Shaw in The First
Night of Pygmalion VPrix Anik AwardW. He is
a Companion of the Order of Canada, was
the first recipient of the Governor
General’s Lifetime Achievement Award,
English Sta ge, and received the
Shakespeare Globe’s Sam Wanamaker
Award for contribution to Elizabethan and
Jacobean theatre. Mr. Hutt believes it’s
time Canadian actors stood up for what is
necessary in the recent IPA negotiations
saying, “Listen folks, I do enough of this
VperformingW for the love of it, but there’s
very little of that left.”
Don McKellar
Monkey Warfare
Don McKellar is
thrilled to be nomiT
nated by his actor
peers. “How cool!
And particularly so
in this case, with
Monkey Warfare. As
many
ACTRA
members
know,
when you commit
yourself to a small
film, the recogniT
tion it receives Vif anyW is often more satT
isfying than what you can eke out of
those bigTmoney gigs. Thank you.” Mr.
McKellar has won Genie awards for each
area of his work: acting, writing and
directing. Recent acting credits include Slings & Arrows, the
voice of Jack in the animated series Odd Job Jack and the upcomT
ing miniseries The Englishman’s Boy based on Guy Vanderhaege’s
novel. He won a Tony award with Bob Martin for The Drowsy
Chaperone, now playing on Broadway and soon to appear in
London’s West End. Selected acting and writing combo credits
include Twitch City, The Red Violin, ThirtyMTwo Short Films About
Glenn Gould and Highway 61. Mr. McKellar is currently busy
writing screenplays, including an adaptation of Jose Saramago’s
novel Blindness.
Away From Her
C a n a d i a n icon Gordon Pinsent is well
known and loved by Canadian audiences for
his decades of work in theatre, film, televiT
sion and radio as an actor, writer and director.
Mr. Pinsent earned high praise for his recent
madeTforTTV movie Heyday!, which he
wrote, directed and performed in. Mr.
Pinsent played Billy Pretty in the criticallyT
acclaimed feature The Shipping News, Morley
Callaghan in the miniTseries Hemingway vs.
Callaghan and Al Purdy in Yours, Al. He
starred in the ‘60s CBC television series
Quentin Durgens, MP and wrote and starred in the 1972 film The
Rowdyman, which CBC’s Life & Times’ profile of Mr. Pinsent calls
“a turning point in Canadian film, and in his career.” Mr. Pinsent’s
many honours include ACTRA Awards, ACTRA’s John Drainie
Award, the Earle Grey Award, Genie and Gemini Awards, as well
as honourary doctorates from Queen’s University, P.E.I. University
and Memorial University, Newfoundland. He is a Companion of
the Order of Canada. He received ACTRA Toronto’s inaugural
Award of Excellence in 2003.
Michael Therriault
Prairie Giant: The Tommy Douglas Story
Star of Stratford, Broadway and Toronto
Mirvish Productions, Michael Therriault
has already won a Soeul Drama Award for
his portrayal of Tommy Douglas in Prairie
Giant. “I’m shocked and honoured to be
nominated. It’s an honour to be nominated
by your peers. That means more than anyT
thing, I think.” Of Tommy Douglas, he
says, “He’s an important person in history
to take pride in. We have to honour our
heroes. He did so much for our country.”
Mr. Therriault played Gollum in Toronto’s
theatre production of Lord of the Rings, and will be in London to
reprise the role there. He earned a Dora Award for his work as
Leo Bloom in Toronto’s version of The Producers. He’s appeared
in Stratford and on Broadway in Fiddler On The Roof. Upcoming,
he’s in The Englishman’s Boy with coTnominee Don McKellar.
TheACTRAAwardNominees
Gordon Pinsent
ACTRA Award winners Maria Del Mar and Gordon Pinsent
with ACTRA Toronto’s 2007 Award of Excellence recipient
Wendy Crewson.
Photos: Jag Gundu
ACTRA Awards host Patrick McKenna.
Daughter of ACTRA Award
winner Len Carlson, Corinna Carlson.
Presenter Shirley Douglas.
ACTRA member and singer Amanda Martinez.
Nominees Martha Henry
and William Hutt.
Nominee Ellen-Ray Hennessy.
TheACTRAAwardNominees
continued on page 22
SPRING
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10
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
Wendy Crewson photographed on the set of ReGenesis by Jag Gundu.
Wendy Crewson has an
amazing résumé on both sides
of the border U she is greatly
respected for her complex
soulful portrayals and her
earthy, wicked sense of humour
keeps her very real.
VApparently, she is also quite a
good kisser.W What we also
adore about Wendy is she’s not
afraid to put her money where
her mouth is U sticking up for
actors, sticking it to the
CRTC, moderating panels with
her own brand of feisty grace,
taking ACTRA’s position to
Ottawa. I talked to Wendy
about beginnings...
Culture Champion
An interview with the winner of ACTRA Toronto’s 2007 Award of Excellence
by Ferne Downey
Ferne Downey: October 2003, you rocked
the world of Canadian television. Your devasM
tatingly moving performance as Jane Doe
earned you a Gemini Award. You rose to the
stage in your glamourous white gown and
planted a big juicy kiss on CBC anchor Ian
Hanomansing. Then you went on to give a
rousing speech asking audiences to stay tuned
to homegrown TV, ‘We have a sea of talent out
there and I’m looking at it.’ And the place went
insane! What inspiration moved you to stir
things up that night?
Wendy Crewson: Poor Ian was so terT
rified when I went up to kiss him U the
stricken look on his face. Didn’t they call
him ‘Ian Handsome ManTsing’ U Mary
Walsh told me that. It was fun. I think
it’s very important in our Canadian
industry that we recognize each other
and our talents. Part of being Canadian is
to underplay all that we do, and especialT
ly as a Canadian actor, there is something
about us that is so willing to downplay,
dismiss, set aside our accomplishments.
We really see it as a little distasteful, you
are not supposed to trumpet your own U
it’s not in good taste.
There’s a great story about Bill Hutt’s
parents coming to see the first show he
did at Stratford, and he said, ‘you could
tell who my parents were because they
were the only two that didn’t stand up to
applaud.’
We fight the CRTC for some piece of
our cultural voice and are dismissed out
of hand.
Then we have the whole American culT
tural giant overshadowing us. Look at the
Geminis, how maligned they are… you
pick up the papers and ‘Oh dear,’ says all
the press, ‘here come the boring old
Geminis again,’ and you just want to bury
your head and go ‘Oh!’ I can’t stand the
idea that we can’t just celebrate our own.
Before those Geminis I read John
Doyle’s column who said, Enough of all
this worrying about our ratings... I’m not
interested in TV ratings on the Geminis,
I’m interested in us celebrating ourselves
in this industry. If we don’t nobody else
will. That wasn’t exactly what he said, he
was more succinct, but when I read it a
penny dropped. And I thought, damn it,
we’re supposed to be having fun here. We
need to stand up and applaud each other
for the fabulous work that we do.
things. Honest to God, I knew right
then, ‘I want to be an actress.’ It’s never
changed. I remember my mother looking
at me like, ‘Alright, dear, or teaching…
teaching is always a good profession,’ and
I thought, ‘Nay, I’m going to be an
actress.’
WC: You know, I had a sort of epiphany
when I was about four. Mom was dropT
ping off some food for a potluck at our
local United Church and all the women
were in the kitchen. I was crossTeyed and
wore huge, pink, catTeye glasses. I was
big and tall with these big glasses, I’m all
mouth and skinny hair and I walked into
the church gymnasium in the late afterT
noon and the light was streaming in U it
was really beautiful U and I walked up on
the stage by myself, looked around and
thought, ‘Wow, this is nice, I like the
view from here,’ and I started to imagine
WC: The National Theatre School was
in Montreal and my parents lived in
Montreal and I didn’t want to go back
home to live!
FD: What tipped you into pursuing acting as
a career?
“And I thought, damn it, we’re
supposed to be having fun here.
We need to stand up and applaud
each other for the fabulous work
that we do.”
WendyCrewson, CultureChampion
Wendy Crewson
FD: You graduated from Queen’s University
and then went off to England to the Webber
Douglas Academy. How did you get so smart
to realize that England might be a good place
for technical training?
FD: In 1984 you received the Best Acting
Performance in a Continuing Role in
Television for your work as Kate in Home
Fires. An ACTRAAward for your first series
is an auspicious beginning.
WC: Yes, an ACTRA Award. The origiT
nal ACTRA Award U The Nellie U sits
proudly in my living room.
continued on page 30
SPRING
2 0 07
11
Mark Lutz
as Victor
Davis in
Victor.
Photo courtesy of
Indian Grove
Productions.
Photo: Ken Woroner
12
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
For the past seven years, Mark Lutz’s life has been consumed
by telling the story of Canadian Olympic champion
Victor Davis.
‘I think it’s all within yourself. Whatever you want. Whatever satisfies you.
Personally, being second or third doesn’t satisfy me. I have to be the victor or
I’m not going to be satisfied.’
– Victor Davis
by Chris Owens
Victor
1 9 8 2 . Gu a y a q u i l , E c u a d o r. T h e Wo r l d S w i m m i n g
Championships. Canadian Victor Davis is appearing in his first
major international competition. As the other swimmers limber
up, Davis shadowboxes an unseen opponent, letting loose a flurT
ry of punches. He is the last to take his position on the starter
blocks. When the pistol sounds, he explodes into the water.
Four lengths of the pool later, he emerges as the new World
Record holder of the men’s 200Tmetre breaststroke.
During his career, Davis won 29 national titles and 16 internaT
tional medals. He captured a gold medal at the 1984 Summer
Olympics in Los Angeles. He became a member of the Order of
Canada and was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of
Fame. Tragically, only a few months after his retirement, Victor
Davis died in Notre Dame Hospital, Quebec, the victim of a
hitTandTrun driver. He was just 25 years old.
On March 26, CBC will air a twoThour movie, Victor, based on
the life of this remarkable athlete written by and starring
Canadian actor Mark Lutz.
Mark has done what many actors only dream about: he has
written a starring role for himself in a story he has longed to
tell; he has sold a screenplay and had it produced; he has paid
homage to a childhood hero and created work for fellow
Canadians. Not bad for a first attempt.
Before he became an actor, Mark spent many years pursuing his
own dreams of swimming glory, competing from the age of six.
His swimming career included an appearance at the Olympic
Trials. It would remain an unfinished chapter, however, due to
chronic shoulder problems and several surgeries. “My body gave
out before my heart did.”
As a performer, Mark has appeared in more than 40 film
and television shows. You may have seen him on ER,
Friends, Power Play, Earth: Final Conflict or as a regular on the
WB series Angel. But for many years, he has wanted to creT
ate his own work and tell Canadian stories. “They always
say write what you know, so having spent 15 years waterT
logged in a pool, swimming was something I knew about.”
Initially, he thought of writing “a sort of fictionalized
Rocky in the pool,” and then, he turned to childhood swim
hero Victor Davis. “Here’s an amazing journey of a kid from
Guelph, Ontario, who had a lot of knocks against him, in
terms of finances and a broken home, wrong side of the
tracks, hyperactive, not the best student, and then he
reaches the pinnacle of Canadian sport. In the early ‘80s it
was like a new beginning in Canadian athletics. He was sort
of on the cusp of people discovering that, hey, we can win
in something besides hockey.”
continued on page 24
SPRING
2 0 07
13
Members’ News
FYI — ACTRAMembers’News
Canadian stars demand action from the CRTC
Stars were out in force for ACTRA’s news conference in
Ottawa at the start of CRTC hearings into the state of overT
theTair television in November last year. Toronto members
Wendy Crewson, Fiona Reid, Sonja Smits and R.H. Thomson
called on the CRTC to impose spending requirements on priT
vate broadcasters to stop the disappearance of Canadian draT
mas. ACTRA wants broadcasters to spend 7Z of advertising
revenues on Canadian dramatic television shows and to broadT
cast the shows in real primetime U Sunday to Thursday,
7T11 p.m. The news conference was widely covered in print
and television, and led to Sonja writing an article for The
Ottawa Citizen. ACTRA returned to Ottawa in early
December to make a full presentation to the CRTC.
A transcript of ACTRA’s presentation is available at
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/transcripts/2006/tb1204.htm.
Rolling: Archives project
Adrienne Clarkson, Ernie Coombs, June Callwood, Douglas
Campbell, Susan Douglas, William Hutt, Charmion King,
Barry Morse, Jan Rubes, Ruth Springford, John Neville. The
Ben Lennick Archives at ACTRA Toronto videotaped interT
views with these and countless other stars capturing their
thoughts and stories on performing, their careers, the industry
and ACTRA. These treasured records are now being transT
ferred to media that won’t deteriorate. And to build the library
and continue recording ACTRA’s and actors’ oral history,
councillors Theresa Tova and Wayne Robson have begun capT
turing new interviews using our very own Gordon Pinsent stuT
dio. If you’re interested in assisting with the archives project,
contact Wayne [email protected] or
Theresa [email protected]
No more Blue Man Group
The stage show Blue Man Group shut its doors in
January after just over a year’s run in Toronto. ACTRA
Toronto and the United Steelworkers joined the Blue
Man Coalition, established by Equity, IATSE and the
American Federation of Musicians, to pressure the
NewTYorkTbased worldwide production to honour our
professional theatre community and negotiate union
contracts for its performers, musicians and stage techT
nicians. Blue Man was expected to play Toronto indefiT
nitely, but announced in September, 2006, that it
would be closing in January, 2007. It’s a bittersweet
conclusion U the closing represents a successful boyT
cott, but the boycott’s unions and supporters would
have preferred union contracts and a longTrunning
show.
The band in June 2005 at the Blue Man Group protest.
14
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
Wendy Crewson and Sonja Smits
speaking to media after ACTRA’s
CRTC news conference.
Photo: Jonathan Hayward
Jan Rubes
Adrienne
Clarkson
Photo courtesy
CBC Still Photo Collection
Members’ News
Genie Award nominations for Toronto members
Colm Feore was a Genie Award nominee
for his role in Bon Cop, Bad Cop.
Photo courtesy Park Ex Pictures. Photo by Attila Dory
FYI — ACTRAMembers’News
Congratulations to the ACTRA Toronto members who earned Genie nominaT
tions. Because our film industry is so successful in Quebec, many of the nomiT
nated films are QuebecTbased, and thus many of the nominated ACTRA memT
bers come out of ACTRA Montreal. Congratulations to all ACTRA member
nominees. The Genie Awards were presented by the Academy of Canadian
Cinema and Television on February 13. ACTRA Toronto nominees are:
Performance by an actor in a leading role
Colm Feore, Bon Cop, Bad Cop
Performance by an actor in a supporting role
Hugh Dillon, Trailer Park Boys: The Movie
Robert Joy, Whole New Thing
Stephen McHattie, Marice Richard / The Rocket VwinnerW
Performance by an actress in a supporting role
Emily Hampshire, Snow Cake
Gemini Award winners
Congratulations to all ACTRA Toronto members who won
Gemini Awards. The Geminis were held in October and
November, 2006.
Martha Burns won a Gemini Award for her role
as Ellen in Slings & Arrows. Photo courtesy Rhombus Media. Photo: Ken Woroner
Winners in performance categories Valphabetical orderW
Martha Burns Slings & Arrows
Maury Chaykin At The Hotel
Susan Coyne Slings & Arrows
Gavin Crawford and Shaun Majumder, with ACTRA Newfoundland & Labrador
members Cathy Jones and Mark Critch This Hour Has 22 Minutes
Wendy Crewson The Man Who Lost Himself
Sean Cullen What Were They Thinking?
Linda Kash At The Hotel
Judah Katz Canada Russia ‘72
k.d. lang Words to Music: The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame
Ron MacLean CBC’s Hockey Day In Canada
Tom McCamus Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story
Mark McKinney Robson Arms
Paul Soles Terminal City
Ksenia Solo renegadepress.com
Winners in directing and writing categories
James Allodi Vdirection Naked JoshW
Susan Coyne, Bob Martin, Mark McKinney Vwriting Slings & ArrowsW
Production categories
Gisèle Corinthios Vwith Marie McCann, Pat Ellingson, Ericka EvansW
Gisèle’s Big Backyard: Here, There and Everywhere
Viewers’ Choice Award
Marilyn Denis CityLine
Crewson receives ovation at NDP convention
Wendy Crewson spoke to an Emergency Resolution on ACTRA’s strike at the Ontario NDP
convention at the end of January and received a standing ovation for her efforts. United
Steelworkers National Director Ken Neumann introduced the resolution that recognized the
role of film and television in our culture, that professional performers deserve to be paid fairT
ly for their work, and that asked for the Ontario NDP’s support for ACTRA’s strike. The resT
olution passed and the Ontario NDP called on the Canadian Film and Television Production
Association to reach agreement with ACTRA and resolve the strike.
SPRING
2 0 07
15
Members’ News
Top-10 Canadian films for 2006
Good luck finding these films in the theatres, but if they do
make it to a multiplex near you, go and see these great Canadian
films!
Julie Christie and Gordon Pinsent in Sarah Polley’s film
Away From Her, one of Canada’s top-ten films of 2006.
Photo courtesy Capri Releasing
FYI — ACTRAMembers’News
In alphabetical order.
Away From Her
Congorama
Un Dimanche À Kigali
The Journals of Knud Rasmussen
Manufactured Landscapes
Monkey Warfare
Radiant City
Sharkwater
Sur La Trace D’Igor Rizzi
Trailer Park Boys: The Movie
Canada’s Top Ten films are chosen by a 10Tmember, national
panel of filmmakers, journalists, programmers, and industry
professionals convened by the Toronto International Film
Festival Group VTIFFGW. www.tiffg.ca.
CMG makes donation in support of ACTRA’s strike
The Canadian Media Guild’s VCMGW
National Executive Committee voted
unanimously to donate [5,000 to the
Actors’ Fund in support of ACTRA’s
strike. Lise Lareau, CMG’s National
President advised ACTRA of the donation
during the third week of ACTRA’s strike.
CMG is the union representing 6,000 members who work in
the Canadian media. ACTRA supported CMG during the CBC
lockout in the summer of 2005 and joined their picket line on
several occasions during their sevenTweek lockout.
www.cmg.ca
Shaw, Vidéotron jeopardize CTF
In December, Shaw Communications, followed by Vidéotron
Ltée, announced they would immediately withdraw their supT
port from the Canadian Television Fund, VCTFW, jeopardizing
the most important source for greenlighting Canadian drama,
comedy, documentaries and kids’ shows.
Globe and Mail TV columnist John Doyle wrote on January 30:
“It’s really rather simple. Cable companies in Canada exist in a
privileged, protected position that allows them to make vast
amounts of money, and now some want to renege on their regT
ulatory responsibility and thus crush CanadianTmade TV.”
Parliament’s Heritage Committee began hearings on the CTF
in early February, and the CRTC’s new Chief Commissioner,
Konrad von Finckenstein, announced a task force to look into
the CTF after Shaw and Vidéotron’s complaints. Both compaT
nies have resumed their monthly CTF contributions.
ACTRA has been a strong supporter of increased funding for
the CTF and spearheaded a successful fight against impending
government cuts in 2003.
16
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
AFBS announces new benefits program
After much consultation with members, AFBS has launched a
new insurance benefits program. You should have already
received a booklet previewing the new benefits called Options &
Decisions. This publication contains information on the new
plan and outlines choices for members and decisions members
need to make immediately. The new insurance program is effecT
tive from March 1, 2007. The most important change is that
seven classes of insurance coverage have been compressed into
three levels: bronze, silver and gold. See Ferne Downey’s article
on AFBS’ new insurance plan in the Winter 2007 issue of
InterACTRA Vp. 7W. Read your mail and contact AFBS with any
questions.
V416W 967T6600 1T800T387T8897 [email protected]
U.S. company funds CanWest
takeover of Alliance Atlantis
Alliance Atlantis Communications is embroiled in controversy
once again as CanWest Global Communications’ announced it
is buying AAC with U.S. investment bank Goldman Sachs footT
ing 90Z of the [1.5 billion deal that includes AAC’s 13 specialT
ty cable channels.
The AAC takeover falls close on the heels of another giant
media takeover in Canada U the purchase of CHUM by
CTVglobemedia.
Both deals will be examined by the CRTC. The CHUM purT
chase leads to ownership of multiple TV stations in a single
market; the AAC deal tests Canada’s foreign ownership limits
of telecommunications companies.
ACTRA lobbies against further media concentration and the
relaxing of foreign ownership rules. Both weaken our already
threatened cultural sovereignty and lead to reduced opportuniT
ties for Canadian programming.
Do We Have Your Money?
FYI — ACTRAMembers’News
Attention all performers who have earned royalties,
residuals and use fees under an ACTRA agreement
Vfilm, TV, documentary or commercial productionW.
Have you moved and not kept a current address with
ACTRA? Are you holding on to an uncashed cheque from
the ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society VACTRA PRSW?
If you answered “Yes” to either of these questions,
ACTRA PRS may be holding an unclaimed
residual payment for you.
For information, please visit the ACTRA PRS
section of www.actra.ca, or go to
www.actra.ca/actra/control/prs_payments,
to see a list of performer names under
ACTRA PRS NKA Payments to see if your name
or a performer you know is listed.
If it is, contact ACTRA PRS at
V416W 489T1311 or [email protected]
We’d be happy to hear from you and arrange for payment!
Many thanks to the generous sponsors of
The ACTRA Awards in Toronto 2007
Platinum
Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Bronze Sponsors
ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society, Barna-Alper Productions,
Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntyre & Cornish LLP,
City of Toronto Film & Television Office, Dufferin Gate Productions,
Grant Thornton LLP, Rhombus International, Unionville Insurance
Supporters
Jam Talent Management, Manulife Financial, Ooh La La Couture,
OAZ, PLAYBACK, Ricochet Water, Thistle Printing,
Toronto Film Studios, Writers Guild of Canada
Silver Sponsors
Friends
AMI Artist Management, Fountainhead Talent,
Gary Goddard Agency, New Leaf Flowers & Gifts
SPRING
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17
ACTRAFallConference2006ACTRAFallConference2006ACTRAFallConfe
ACTRAFallConference2006
The Fall 2006 session of the ACTRA Toronto Members’
Conference drew hundreds of members for a fullTday of
workshops and master classes. The fall conference is the
one conference each year held on a Saturday, and
ACTRA Toronto has been offering unique sessions for
child performers and their parents so that kids can
attend without missing school. For the first time, kids
got their onw Master Class, to work on auditions. Here
are highlights from some of the workshops.
Child performers attending the Master Class for Kids:
Great Auditions session at the October conference.
Photos: Jag Gundu
Nailing the Part: Casting for TV
Actor Jennifer Wigmore moderated a panel including
Shaftesbury Films producer Suzanne French, casting director
Marsha Chesley and producer Jamie Paul Rock to provide help
to actors on the casting process and how to ‘nail the part.’
The difference between now and 10 years ago is the lack of
work, which has increased the competition level, not just for
actors, but for casting directors.
Most of the actors will be off book, so bear that in mind, though
it’s okay to bring the sides in with you. Don’t count on the readT
er to help you out. It's not their audition, it’s yours. The safest
thing to do is say “Line,” and it's okay to ask to start again.
Be careful of asking questions before you start. While the sides
aren’t the whole picture, you’ve had to do a lot of work to
answer questions for yourself about what happened before,
where the character is emotionally, and you want to show the
preparation you did. If it’s wrong but done well, that will still
impress them.
Just because you didn’t get it doesn’t mean you didn’t make an
impression. They may have liked you, but felt you didn’t fit.
The CD may have said “They’re reading for this part, but I also
thought they’d be good for this other part.” before you even
get in the room. They may cast you elsewhere in the project or
keep you in mind for others. A good audition will be rememT
bered and is never a waste of time.
Don’t rewrite, ever. If you get sides that have a little interchange
that doesn’t involve your character, perse, don’t cross it out and
skip it, it’s there for a reason. And don’t reTwrite words or jokes or
leave things out. If there’s a writer in the room, they can tell if diaT
logue isn’t working, they don’t need you to tell them that. It will
mean more if it’s bad dialogue, and you make it work anyway.
Bruce Hunter, Fab Filippo, Luba Goy and Gordon Paynter in From Sketch to Screen.
The audition is not a scavenger hunt for props. Never, ever
bring a gun, even a fake one, to an audition. The audition is
about what you look like, what you sound like, and can you act
and connect.
A self tape won’t get you the part, but it may get you a callback
Vfor ACTRA members, there’s the Gordon Pinsent studio that
has a camera, great sound and great lights U all for free.W
A headshot should be a headshot Vno preference for colour
over b/w, though colour seems to be prevalent these days.W So
many submissions are electronic now, and they come in as a
thumbnail, so if you’ve got a bodyTshot, your head is minuscule
and they usually won't take the time to click on it.
Marsha doesn’t like to get eTmail or faxes, but doesn’t mind
postcards or phone messages, just don’t expect to get her on
the phone for a response.
Jamie doesn’t want postcards, it’s just more mail. He loves it when
agents call and offer him tickets to see their clients in a show.
Peter Keleghan speaking to
members at the conference plenary
about ACTRA’s plans to start a
credit union for artists.
Photo: Kim Hume
18
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
Neil Whitely at the October
Members’ Conference, sending
a letter on Status of the Artist to
his MPP.
erence2006ACTRAFallConference2006ACTRAFallConference2006ACTRAFallC
Mirror, Mirror
Older actors, people of colour, people with disabilities… are
they seeing themselves on TV? Are Canadian screens inclusive?
Producers Shernold Edwards VEpitome PicturesW, Laura Miliken
VBig Soul ProductionsW, Sadia Zaman VVision TVW, Sarah
Crawford VChumW and actor/producer Tonya Lee Williams tackT
led these questions in a lively workshop.
What is diversity?
It’s a synonym for people of colour but it also includes age, genT
der, socioTeconomic backgrounds, aboriginal peoples.
How are productions that do include
diversity achieving that?
North/South did open casting calls, went to high schools and creT
ated a multicultural canvas. They found incredible young actors
and knew they would flourish if given the opportunity. It
requires more outreach, building talent pools of diverse groups.
Chum, Global and Vision are on track to be the next leaders to
commission the next show for a diverse person.
Advice to performers
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Go to the film festivals
Educate yourself in this business
Know what the broadcasters want
Pitch to the programming executive
Get a business card and a website
Every person you meet is an opportunity
Get yourself on film/video so people can see it
Useful websites J
or find these through the LINKS page on
www.actratoronto.com
www.torontoartscouncil.org
www.arts.on.ca/scripts/index.asp
www.canadacouncil.ca
www.telefilm.gc.ca
www.nsiTcanada.ca
www.wift.com
www.lift.on.ca
www.canadianactor.com
Casting agent Zameret Kleiman, talent agents Tricia and
Melissa Lee and performers Stephen Graham Simpson and
ACTRA Extras Chair Shereen Airth shared their advice and
experiences. Jack Newman moderated.
Some advice: always show up on time, have the proper
wardrobe with you on set, and be diverse in your look. Consider
having multiple agents, though avoid being contacted by two
agents for the same production. Preference of engagement for
background performers means Full Members are considered
first, then Apprentice members, then ACTRA Extras. Make
sure your agent knows that you are an ACTRA Extra, so you
should be called before the cash extras.
Advice for Background Performers
• Be on time, with wardrobe
• Be accessible on your phone numbers
• Have upTtoTdate photos with your agent
• Don’t cancel at the last minute
• If you are going to be late, call your agent to explain why
• Work together with different categories of actors
• Don’t believe or share onTset rumours
• If you have health problems bring what you need to
look after yourself Vfood, medication, waterW
February Members’ Conference
The February 2007 members’ conference included several new
features: an earlyTbird breakfast session with a star, a panel with
the nominees for our newest ACTRA Awards category U voice
performance, and a new allTday workshop. Breakfast with
Kenneth Welsh started things off for the early bird conference
goers. The allTday stream, Idea to Screen, offered a writers’ boot
camp with Rick Green, Diane Flacks and a clinic on how to
pitch your project. Auditions 201 continued with popular host
David Gale and actors Wayne Robson, Rick Howland, Jennifer
Podemski and Cayle Chernin. The Master Class with a Director
featured Little Mosque on the Prairie director Michael Kennedy.
With Respect to Swords and Guns featured experts in these
areas showing us proper technique and safety.
ACTRAFallConference2006
The panel discussed how broadcast mergers such as CTV buyT
ing Chum can threaten diversity. Will distinct programming be
retained? Homogenization becomes a greater risk. The
Canadian Association of Broadcasters reports that aboriginal
people and those with disabilities are underTrepresented and it’s
because of societal attitudes and lack of understanding
The Background on Background
Mark your calendar
learn • network • connect • act
upcoming dates for ACTRA Toronto Members’ Conferences at
Victoria College, University of Toronto
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Nathaniel Stephenson and his mother
at our Just for Kids workshop.
Producers Sarah Crawford (Chum), Sadia Zaman (Vision TV) and
Shernold Edwards (Epitome Pictures) of the Mirror, Mirror panel exploring diversity on television.
SPRING
2 0 07
19
FYI — ACTRAStuffYouShouldKnow
This
Bud’s For You
By Shawn Lawrence, ACTRA Toronto’s Ombudsman
Since my last column, many of the issues I have
dealt with have been regarding upgrades, visible
minority status, late payments, cancelled memberT
ships and disciplinary action. New issues included
answering questions about the Ontario’s governT
ment’s plan to introduce Status of the Artist legisT
lation. The government was going to deal with this
in their last legislative session and didn’t. We are
still hopeful that they will address it sometime this
year. I spoke with a member who was convinced
that an A.D. was badTmouthing him to casting agents and preventing
him from getting auditions. Unfortunately, the incident happened two
years prior to his contact with me, and there was no real proof, so there
was nothing I could do. I’m best able to help when people contact me in
a timely manner. I was able to resolve a problem an agent was having
with coverage from AFBS. Bob Underwood, as always, took my call and
resolved the problem. I’ve also had a couple of requests for help from
members from other branches. I’ve tried to assist them but suggested
they look into establishing an ombudsman position in their branch. In all
cases, I have done my very best to assist the members, unfortunately not
always to their satisfaction and I have suffered a few flesh wounds!
However, I’ve survived so far. Until next time, I wish you work!
contact Shawn Lawrence at 416T928T2278 ext. 6604
C o rr e c t io n :
Last column, I mentioned ACTRA PRS had disbursed [10.3 million. I
was mistaken. That was ACTRA PRS’ previous year’s collections.
Overall performer disbursements are much higher: ACTRA PRS has
issued an impressive [35 million on behalf of performers in the last five
years. Kudos!
more
news
More news and ACTRA Toronto Committee
reports at
www.actratoronto.com www.actra.ca
ACTRA strike news
Highlights of IPA Terms of Settlement
www.actra.ca/actra/control/hotnews1?category=hn&id=10558
An update on FilmPort
www.actratoronto.com/home/filmportupdate.html
Send a letter to your MPP for
Status of the Artist
www.actratoronto.com/ccp/soa_06.asp
ACTRA Toronto
Stewards at work
Under the Commercial Agreement,
internet ads are a separate payment
Ad agencies and companies know that contracting
for the internet requires additional payments for
the performers, but too often ads shot for radio or
television are just posted without payment or conT
tracting for web use. Our eagleTeyed staff and
stewards with the help of performers and agents
are catching unauthorized web ads and pursuing
payments on behalf of performers. Recently, addiT
tional performer payments including I & R and
late fees were pursued and collected for web ads
by more than five engagers totaling almost
[90,000.
Not so fast
Two versions of a fast food television commercial
aired within the same broadcast cycle but didn’t
comply with the editing provisions in the
Commercial Agreement. Commercial Stewards
filed a successful grievance collecting more than
[20,000.00 in session and residual payments for
several performers.
Weather hazards
20
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
A threeTday campaign by a U.S. advertising agency
was shot in torrential rainfall, high winds and
freezing temperatures Our members were
required to perform long hours in intolerable conT
ditions. ACTRA acknowledged the difficult
weather situation faced by production, but little
was being done to ensure performers were kept
safe and warm. In addition to demanding immediT
ate consideration for our members, ACTRA
Toronto found the agency to be in violation of
multiple working condition provisions and colT
lected [3,000.00 in fines.
ACTRA’s FirstIEver Strike
continued from page 4
We did very well indeed.
We bargained the largest wage increase
ACTRA members have had since 1999,
and achieved fair terms on the internet.
The new IPA has the three pillars
ACTRA was seeking to resolve the strike.
PAY
A fair wage increase of 9Z over three
years plus 1Z into benefits
President’sMessagecontinued
INTERNET
Canadian producers pay 3.6Z of any interT
net revenues from first dollar U the first
clean, unqualified residual in our agreeT
ment. We got a ‘waitTandTsee’ status quo
from the U.S. studios with the undertakT
ing they'll track internet revenue and pay
retroactively when we finalize terms with
them in 24 months.
PEACE
An end to the litigation and a stronger,
clearer negotiation protocol for the next
round of talks.
More information on the IPA terms of
settlement is posted on www.actra.ca
and www.actratoronto.com. I was
proud to be a part of such an exceptional
bargaining team. Your negotiators and
your National Council are recommending
acceptance of these terms.
There is nothing inevitable about the
future of the global film and television
industry. We have the capacity to deterT
mine our own future if we use our collecT
tive strength to good advantage and take
action to improve the terms and condiT
tions under which we work.
One thing is clear. We do not have the
option to stand still or go to sleep while
the industry is undergoing a major change.
We were making other plans and then…
life happened. Now let’s embrace it. Let’s
live it as fully as possible.
In solidarity,
Karl Pruner
Our cause is just
Our cause is just. Artists,
performers and unions from
around the world have shown
their support for ACTRA’s
position in this strike.
Top photo:
ACTRA Toronto President Karl Pruner in a media scrum on
January 8 following ACTRA’s news conference announcing our
first-ever strike.
Photo: Jag Gundu
Above:
Sonja Smits and Lorne Cardinal speaking to media on the first
day of ACTRA’s strike.
Photo: Jag Gundu
Left:
Shereen Airth at ACTRA’s strike demo.
Photo: Peter Baker
See all the support for ACTRA
www.actra.ca/actra/control/feature21
SPRING
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21
ACTRA
Award for
Outstanding
Performance
U Female
TheACTRAAwardNominees
Martha Burns
22
Slings & Arrows
Martha Burns won
a Gemini Award for
her role as Ellen
Fanshaw in Slings &
Arrows. Originally
from Winnipeg, she’s
known for her leadT
ing roles at the
Stratford and Shaw
Festivals. Ms. Burns
is a recipient of the
Barbara Hamilton
Award for excellence and professionalT
ism in the performing arts, as well as two
Dora Awards for Trafford Tanzi and The
Miracle Worker and a Genie Award for
Long Day’s Journey Into Night. She is a
founding member of Soulpepper Theatre
Company and has worked extensively as
an instructor for Soulpepper’s youth outT
reach programs as well as George Brown
Theatre School and Ryerson Theatre
School. Film credits include Siblings,
Jerry Cicorritti’s The Life Before This, the
short film Hindsight and Francois Girard’s
Silk. Upcoming, she plays Mary Miller in
H20 II: The Trojan Horse.
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
Maria Del Mar
Martha Henry
In Terminal City, a
10Tpart TV series,
Maria Del Mar plays
Katie Sampson, a
woman with breast
cancer who becomes
host of a reality TV
series while she’s
undergoing cancer
treatment. It’s a
tough role, and she’s
earned accolades for
her performance. Next, Ms. Del Mar will
be off to Uruguay for the premiere of a Bill
Marks comedy, 14 Days in Paradise. For an
actor accustomed to dramatic roles, the
film gave her “a chance to be my silly self.”
She’s excited by her ACTRA Award nomiT
nation. “Yay! A completely and entirely
Canadian crew and cast. That was the
most rewarding.” Maria is known for her
roles in JAG, 24, Monk, The Practice, Frasier,
Blue Murder and Street Legal.
Martha Henry is a
revered stage perT
former, and a multiT
award winning film
and television actor.
In Ken Finkleman’s
At T h e Ho t e l ,
s h e plays Lucy
Knowlton, the owner
of the celebrated and
mysterious Chateau
Rousseau hotel. “I
loved doing it. I adore Ken Finkleman. He’s
one of the most original minds.” Well
known for her many years at the Stratford
Festival, Ms. Henry is also a respected
director with credits such as Richard II and
the premiere of Timothy Findley’s
Elizabeth Rex. She has won five Genie
Awards for The New Comers, The Wars,
Dancing In The Dark, Mustard Bath and
Long Day’s Journey Into Night. She has three
Gemini Awards, and a Gemini nomination
for her performance as the mother of the
Prime Minister played by Paul Gross in
H20. She is a Companion of the Order of
Canada and recipient of a Governor
General’s Award. Most recently, Ms.
Henry starred in Retreat From Moscow at
Theatre Calgary. Upcoming, she’s directing
Of Mice and Men at Stratford.
Terminal City
Deborah Grover
11 Cameras
Deborah Grover is
enjoying her ‘characT
ter years.’ She plays
the chain smoker
mother Gladys in 11
Cameras, and her son
is in Iraq, working
for the security
forces. 11 Cameras
was shot on webT
cam. Ms. Grover
says it’s “One of the
most amazing things I’ve ever done. A
gift. A great character part on the screen,
and I got to work with these wonderful
young actors.” Ms. Grover played the
mother of the murdered young woman in
Atom Egoyan’s Where The Truth Lies.
Other credits include appearances on
This Is Wonderland, Jeff Ltd., The Murdoch
Mysteries with Peter Outerbridge. and a
small independent film that did very well
on the festival circuit, Six Figures. Ms.
Grover started out in theatre and recent
credits include the twoThander Sexy
Laundry and a bilingual play, Beau Gestes &
Beautiful Deeds.
At The Hotel
Kristen Thomson
Away From Her
To be an ACTRA
Award nominee,
Kristen Thomson
says she “was blown
away. It’s an incredT
ible award. It’s
affirming, in terms
of the work that
one’s doing.” An
awardTwinning
actor, Ms. Thomson
has two ACTRA
Awards for her performances in the short
film I Shout Love and the film adaptation
of the awardTwinning oneTwoman play
she also wrote, I, Claudia. In Away From
Her, Ms. Thomson plays the noT
nonsense nurse Kristy, who befriends
Gordon Pinsent’s character, Grant, as he
visits his AlzheimerTafflicted wife. “I
found it imaginative and emotionally
engaging to play someone so straight up.”
Currently writing a new play, Ms.
Thomson’s other film credits include
Deepa Mehta’s adaptation of Carol
Shield’s novel The Republic of Love, Flower
& Garnet, The Matthew Shepard Story and
The Law of Enclosures.
Ontario artists are still waiting
for legislation
by David Sparrow
ACTRA Toronto President Karl
Pruner joined other arts unions
and the Ontario Federation of
Labour at a Queen’s Park news
conference in December calling
on the government to take action
on its promise of Status of the
Artist legislation in Ontario.
ACTRA would like to see all child performers receive basic protections under the law.
Status of the artist is a category of legisT
lation and programs that would improve
the economic and social status of artists.
While Canada VfederallyW has recogT
nized this important initiative, labour
falls within provincial jurisdiction. Since
1988 only Quebec and Saskatchewan
have enacted SOA legislation. The
Ontario Liberals promised to bring in
SOA legislation during their first term.
That was in June 2004, and as of March
2007, no progress has been made.
ACTRA has been to the Ontario
Legislature to lobby for this issue on
three occasions. The Minister of
Culture, Hon. Caroline Di Cocco, has
repeatedly promised there will be
action, yet so far… status quo ante.
ACTRA has lobbied Queen’s Park along
with other arts groups requesting that
the following five agreedTupon ideas be
used as a foundation from which to
build:
Protection for Child Performers
While ACTRA has many safeguards for
children working under our Independent
Production Agreement, some child perT
formers in Ontario work without these
terms. Protect all child performers under
the law.
Career Transitioning and Training
Performers are not entitled to Employment
Insurance VEIW or EITfunded provincial
training programs. Provide equal access to
such programs for artists.
Dignity for Older Artists
Many older performers are without penT
sions, health benefits or affordable housT
ing. Income averaging, inclusion under
EI and support for more housing would
provide security and dignity for artists.
Income Averaging
Provincial income tax averaging would
recognize that artists’ incomes fluctuate
from year to year.
Collective Bargaining
ACTRA insists that any new legislation
in the area of collective bargaining must
first do no harm to the rights of artists
under existing agreements. Create a stakeT
holder committee to discuss this issue
with strict timelines for legislative
action.
The heart of SOA legislation is to proT
vide artists with the legal tools to enjoy a
safe and dignified life before and after
retirement. The time has come for the
Liberals to fulfill their election promise
by recognizing the special status of
artists in Ontario.
Email the Minister of Culture,
the Hon. Caroline Di Cocco,
at [email protected] with
your desire to see Status of the Artist
legislation in Ontario.
David Sparrow serves
as ACTRA Toronto
Council's Executive
Member at Large. An
actor for more than 16
years, he has appeared
in film and TV roles,
commercials, and has
voiced both cartoons
and radio spots. As a writer, David is currentT
ly in postTproduction on his first feature,
Teddy Bear, coTwritten and produced with
ACTRA member Yuval Daniel and shot under
ACTRA Toronto's TIP Agreement.
SOA Sub-committee report discovered
In early January, Minister Di Cocco’s SubTcommittee’s
report on Status of the Artist was spotted on their
website. This report received no announcement,
no news release, and is not linked from the Culture
Minister’s website. Though the subTcommittee’s
recommendations could be termed vague, they largely
reflect the measures ACTRA Toronto has been
fighting for.
www.macac.on.ca/forums/ReportPDF/macac_eng_web_Dec_6_06.pdf
SPRING
2 0 07
23
Mark Lutz as Victor Davis.
Photo courtesy of Indian Grove Productions.
Photo: Ken Woroner
Victor continued from page 13
“They always say write what you know so having
spent 15 years waterlogged in a pool, swimming was
something I knew about.”
In 2000, Mark was able to arrange a meeting with Victor’s father,
Mel Davis. Mark’s brother, Steve, also a serious swimmer in his
youth and now a lawyer, accompanied him. Steve drafted an
agreement and the two presented it to Mel. They didn’t have any
money to offer but they made it clear that they were willing to
do whatever it took to tell Victor’s story. Mel responded to their
determination and passion by signing the twoTyear agreement
within half an hour. They then spent the next five or six hours
talking. “Mel was really great. From the moment we walked in
the door, he was very welcoming. I cannot say enough great
things about him. He was generous to a fault, accommodating,
frank about his son and he didn’t pull any punches.”
Mark Lutz as Victor Davis,
Ron Lea as swimming coach Clifford Barry.
Photo courtesy of Indian Grove Productions. Photo: Ken Woroner
Almost two years of research and interviews followed. Mark
learned that there was a distinct advantage to knowing your subT
ject. “The more I showed that I knew what I was talking about,
the more comfortable they felt and the more forthcoming they
were.” At a certain point, the information he was gathering
began to repeat itself and he knew that it was time to start writT
ing. He wrote all day, every day and late into the night for three
solid months.
Victor
The first draft was well received, albeit with a few surprises. “I’d
sent it to a producer on a topT10 show in L.A. and he said, ‘Dude,
I like this. I’m very interested in making this movie. There’s only
one thing I would change: you’ve got to make him from Texas,
make him a cowboy.’ And I said, ‘Well, it’s a true story.’ Then he
said, ‘Listen, we make him from California, a California surferTboy.’
‘Uh, it’s a true story.’ ‘I got it: we make him a brash kid from New
England, Boston or something, you know?’ Finally, I said, ‘Dude...
It’s a true story!’ And he said, ‘You mean, a trueTtrue story?’ ‘Yeah.’
‘Aw, dude, you’ll never sell it down here.’ He loved the story but the
fact that it was Canadian somehow made it ‘unmakeable’.”
It certainly wasn’t unmakeable in the eyes of Canadian producer
Bernie Zuckerman. He saw its potential right away and commitT
ted himself to the project, teaming up with Gemini AwardTwinT
ning director, Jerry Ciccoritti. On the set, each actor was given a
copy of the ‘director’s bible,’ a collection of notes written by
Ciccoritti outlining his thoughts on the story and welcoming
performers to expand and contribute to them. The first note in
the bible is: ‘This is not a sports movie. I have no interest in makT
ing a sports movie. This is a movie that investigates the question:
what makes a hero?’ When Mark read that, it confirmed that
Ciccoritti was the right man for the job.
Canada's Victor Davis celebrates his gold
medal win at the 1984 Olympic games in
Los Angeles.
Photo courtesy Canadian Press/Canadian Olympic Committee.
Photo by Ted Grant
24
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
While conducting his interviews, Mark was told a story about
Victor Davis that stuck with him the entire time he penned the
first draft. It goes something like this: some friends were picking
Davis up at a university hospital and when they arrived, they
were surprised to find him in a water treadmill swimming with a
seal. “What kind of person says, ‘I’m going to get in this pool
with this wild animal, I don’t know if it’s going to bite me or
what, but I’m going to get in the pool and swim with it and
mimic its motions and see if I can learn anything from it? Who
thinks like that?” Mark wrote the seal scene into the script.
Zuckerman told him, ‘We can’t afford to spend a day of shooting
with you and a seal and a water treadmill U you’ll have to lose it.’
But, Mark was determined and each time he turned in a new
draft, he would sneak the seal scene back in. Finally, Ciccoritti
came to the rescue. “Jerry hated to lose the scene but he also
agreed that it would be too expensive to shoot, so he came up
with the idea to have someone tell it as a
story U and, I’ve got to say, it’s one of my
favorite scenes in the film. Adam
VMacDonaldW and Jeff VMalloryW knocked
it out of the park.”
Just before shooting the film’s first swimT
ming sequence, Mark stood on a starter
block and led the other actorTathletes in
a raucous cheer, their voices bouncing off
the tiled walls. He then produced a botT
tle of water taken directly from the USC
Olympic pool, site of Davis’ swims durT
ing the ‘84 Games and poured it into the
Etobicoke Olympium, ceremoniously
blessing their undertaking and connectT
ing history with the present.
“It’s amazing the discipline you can
have knowing you’re going to be walkM
ing around in a Speedo for 20 days.”
At a time when our film and television
industry is under siege and our stories are
increasingly in danger of being lost, Mark
Lutz has accomplished a rare feat: he has
brought a Canadian hero to life from the
page to the screen. Watching Lutz’s
progress over the years, the meticulous
research, writing the screenplay, finding a
producer and director, pounding his
body into peak condition and taking on
the starring role, Victor Davis may not
be the only hero of this story.
Victor airs March 26 at 8 p.m. on CBC.
Chris Owens is editor of
Performers Magazine. He
has a role as journalist
Dave Stubbs in Victor. He
plays hockey in Toronto.
Victor
According to Mark, stepping onto the set
for the first day of principal photography
wearing two hats U as the writer and lead
actor U was one of the most challenging
aspects of the project. “Taking nothing
away from anyone who worked on the
film in any capacity, they were coming to
it, at the most, within the last year and I
had already spent four or five years comT
mitted to the story. It was difficult to let
go on that first day and let everyone else
take the reins. My head was definitely
split U cleaved down the middle.” As the
days went on, he found it easier to let go,
to focus on his acting and enjoy the conT
tributions of the firstTrate cast and crew.
“I’d been carrying an enormous responsiT
bility, selfTinflicted to a certain extent, to
do it right. I mean, there are people who
lost their son, their brother, their grandT
child, their best friend, their swimT
buddy. It was important to tell the story
right and as accurately as possible and
not to try to canonize the guy or water
things down.”
What about the physical challenge of
playing a worldTclass athlete? Mark has
been a swimmer and scuba diver for most
of his life, but to play Victor, he literally
transformed his body. He began his work
with a trainer in San Diego who used
‘active release therapy’ to alleviate his
shoulder problems. It was a painful but
ultimately successful process. Between
the gym and the pool, he worked out an
average of three hours a day, every day,
for five months. He also hired a personal
trainer/body builder who knew all about
manipulating your body to get it down to
its lowest fat content while retaining as
much muscle mass as possible. And he
didn’t stop there. During the shoot, as
demanding as it was, he still ran for at
least half an hour before going to set and
then hit the gym at the end of the day.
“It’s amazing the discipline you can have
knowing you’re going to be walking
around in a Speedo for 20 days.”
416-533-6066
SPRING
2 0 07
25
In Memoriam
Ivor Barry, Peter Brierley, Dennis Doherty, Norma Edwards,
Thomas Gillie Fenwick, Celia Franca,William Martin Keen,
Charmion King Vsee page 32W, Frank Mullen, Jackie Rae, Donald Zale
Patricia Rideout
InMemoriam
1931I2006
There are so many wonderful things I
feel and remember about my dearest
friend Pat. We met in the early 1950s as
students at The Royal Conservatory of
Music VTorontoW where our friendship
began and grew throughout the years.
We performed together in many
Canadian Opera Company and CBC
opera productions and concerts, and Pat
was always the consummate artist. The
things I will treasure the most are the
times we spent together at her cottage,
New Year’s Eve at her home, and waking
up to the aromas of her fabulous brunches.
Pat was always there for me through
some tough times in my life and I will
always be grateful for all her love and
caring. “Best Friends” forever. Miss you!
Angela Antonelli
Mavor Moore
1919I2006
Excerpted from Dave Broadfoot’s tribute delivered
at the memorial for Mavor Moore at the University of
Victoria Faculty Club, January 6, 2007.
When I left North Vancouver for Toronto
in 1952, I obtained an onTcamera audition
at CBCTTV. The chief CBCTTV producer
was Mavor Moore. He and his mother
Dora had an annual satirical revue called
Spring Thaw. I appeared in that Spring
Thaw and in 10 different productions of
the show in the years that followed.
Mavor organized his life so that he was
able to produce and direct Spring Thaw
every year. Under his guidance, each new
show became more exciting, better writT
ten, better costumed, better everything,
with writers such as himself and others,
from Wayne and Shuster to Pierre Berton,
composers from Godfrey Rideout to Raymond Jessel and Marion Grudeff.
We were all very lucky. Watching Mavor direct and produce, I learned to become a
directorTproducer. In fact, everything I learned from Mavor, I used until the day I
retired.
Mavor persuaded Gratien Gélinas, the multiTtalented theatre giant of Quebec, to let
us use the theatre he was in charge of, La Comédie Canadienne. Our show had never
played Montreal. At the end of the opening night performance, we had taken 11 curT
tain calls. Then Mavor walked on stage, and the crowd went wild. But the only reason
Mavor had come on stage was to publicly thank Gratien for letting us use the theatre.
Then Gratien decided to come on stage. The crowd went absolutely crazy.
Just when it seemed that Mavor might finally be on the brink of some time off, he was
dragooned, or browTbeaten, or bullied or bulldozed into creating for Toronto the St.
Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts. Getting that centre up and running was a
huge challenge. The Mayor of Toronto, who must remain nameless, was not a theatre
fan. Fortuantely, it wasn’t long until Mayor Lamport retired.
One can’t help but hope that we will continue to produce those creative artists who
can relate directly to their fellow Canadians the way Mavor did, with all of his plays
and sketches and books and operas from Abracadabra to Louis Riel and his individual
songs and musicals and festivals.
I never lost touch with Mavor. Nor did I lose my respect for his amazing attributes:
his hard work, his talent, his dedication and his humanity.
Patricia Rideout performing in The Art of Fugue, 1963.
Photo courtesy CBC Still Photo Collection. Photo: Albert Crookshank
26
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
Mavor Moore’s family, with the assistance of Jim Betts and Script Lab, are commencing preTproduction for a
show of the words and music of Mavor Moore: The Last Best Spring Thaw. The show will be sometime in late
April or early May. The family is calling for reminiscences and memories of Mavor to be sent to
[email protected] or by mail to Mavor Moore Memorial, 312 Wright Ave., Toronto, ON,
M6R 1L9. http://mavormoorememorial.spaces.live.com
Percy Saltzman
1915I2007
Percy Philip Saltzman died quietly in his sleep on January 15. In his
career, he did more than 9,000 weather forecasts on television and
radio and conducted more than 1,000 interviews for CBCTTV,
CTV, Global, CityTV and others. He used no notes or
teleprompters, relating his forecasts entirely from memory. At the
end of each performance, he tossed his chalk into the air. He was a
member of the Order of Canada and was inducted into the
Broadcast Hall of Fame. He served as President of ACTRA
Toronto.
ACTRA member and CTV News Anchor Lloyd Robertson
remembers Percy Saltzman: “He was the original. The first TV
weatherman. The first host of a national colour television breakfast
magazine show, CTV Canada AM. And he was the first human face
on television in Canada XSeptember 8, 1952Y. He had a great sense
of humour. He was a very passionate man, full of life, a character.
We worked together covering the moon landing in 1969. I asked
Percy what it would be like to toss a piece of chalk if one were on
the moon, and he said ‘It’s all magic you know, Lloyd. Television is
all magic’.”
InMemoriam
Photo courtesy CBC Still Photo Collection.
Photo courtesy CBC Still Photo Collection.
Lister Sinclair
1921I2006
Lister Sinclair will be remembered as the allTknowing voice of
CBC radio’s Ideas. He had several careers in broadcasting
before his Ideas role began. He was a founding member of
ACTRA and active in radio in its heyday, before television
came along in the ‘50s. Lister wrote, directed and acted in
radio plays, working with such radio legends as John Drainie
and Andrew Allan. He was prolific, writing more than 700
radio plays in all. He hosted The Nature of Things, appeared on
Front Page Challenge, Wayne and Shuster and Morningside. In 1971,
Lister won the award ACTRA instituted in John Drainie’s
name, recognizing his contribution to Canadian broadcasting.
His contributions would continue for decades. In addition to
his radio work, he performed and wrote for television, eventuT
ally becoming a CBC executive before going back to writing,
performing and producing programs. Lister Sinclair was named
an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1985.
SPRING
2 0 07
27
NewMembers•Announcements
Welcome new members
Rebecca Addelman
Anousha Alamian
Allan Matthew Alexander
Angel
Glen Anthony
Janae Armogan
Crystal Ash
Dylan Authors
Andrew Badali
Christy Battell
Serge Bennathan
Jamie Bloch
Daneen Boone
Hannah Brigden
Brock Andrew Stephen
Nicholas Brown
Jason Brown
Nicholas Castel
Vanderburgh
Antonio Cayonne
Lisa Chang
Paul Chaput
Blake Chorley
Olivia Clark
Lindsay Cole
Mika Collins
Frank CoxTO'Connell
Andrew William Craig
Tricelle Cummings
Arnold D'Julius
Dennis D.
Kyle Dadd
Edward Daranyi
Tenika Davis
Melinda Delorme
Jason Derosse
Nicole Divinal
Michael Dufays
Candace Edwards
Phillip L Ens
Dean Epifano
Angelica Escudero
Dylan Everett
Abigail Falle
StacyTAnn Fequiere
Michael Ferfolia
Rebecca Fisseha
Katherine Flores
Siera Florindo
J D Fortune
Inessa Frantowski
Alyssa Fraser
Lindsey Frazier
Shamus Fynes
Gail Gabrielle
Tye Gnass
Ana Golja
Eli Goree
Mandi Gosling
Nadine Gravis
Wihse Green
Ingrid Haas
D.Shon Henderson
Joni Henson
Allison Hogg
Christine Horne
Ryan Horwood
Herb Irving
Sarah Jackson
Vanessa James
Dani Jazzar
Brent Jones
Miranda Jones
Paulette M Joseph
Tabitha Keast
Justin Kelly
Bob Kerr
Robert James Kinar
Mary Kitchen
Daphne Kostova
Aniela Kurylo
Perry Kwan
Troy Langstaff
Laura Lawson
Sophie Lemay
Patricia Leung
Richard Little
Taunya Lucas
Darryn Lucio
Sarah MachinTGale
Orville Maciel
Alexandra Maclean
Pamm Malcolm
Chelsea P Manders
Micheline Marchildon
Jeff Margolis
Quinn Martin
Warren Mcallister
Jane Mcclelland
Sandy Mcmaster
Laytrel Mcmullen
Tony Medici
Muriel Miller
George Molnar
Angelica Montesano
Joan Barbara Moore
Karen Musey
Laura Nason
Danya Nearon
Thyrza Ogiamien
Bridget Ogundipe
Sabrina Paganelli
Kevin Parkin
Claude Payne
Lukas Penar
Amanda Perreira
Bridget Perry
Ryan Persaud
Richard S Peters
Clyde Phillips Sr
Adrianne Elise Pieczonka
Sebastian Pigott
Bianca Pisciola
Ari Pollack
Allyson Pratt
Holly Prazoff
Jasmine Ramirez
RachaelTLea Rickards
Jessica Rimmer
Marc Robillard
James Rogers
Joanne Rukiange
Marina Salsa
Bianca Santos
Frank Schiavone
Peter Wm Schoelier
Christopher Seivright
Kaitlind Shaw
Evan Steingarten
Aaron Stern
Conroy Stewart
Alisha Stranges
Christina The
Sierra Alexandra
Thomson
Sinjin Thorpe
Terry Tompkins
Puja Uppal
Chantal Vachon
Nick Veziris
Urs Villiger
Rachel Vroom
David Waddleton
Deanna Wales
Xin Wang
David Gordon Ward
Brittany Watson
Horace A Watson
Ari Weinberg
Laura Whalen
Shannon Whelan
Lawrence J Wiliford
Ellen Wong
Scott Yamamura
Norman Yeung
Dale Yim
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Jorja Rae Lardy
ACTRA member Edie InksetterTLardy and her husband Stephanne Lardy are thrilled to
announce the safe arrival of their first child Jorja Rae Lardy on November 8, 2006, in Sechelt,
British Columbia.
Alexander William Szarka
ACTRA members Michelle Nolden and Chris Szarka are delighted to announce that Alexander
William Szarka is in the house. Born January 11, 2007, Alex weighed in at just under 8 lbs. and 22
inches long.
John and Nancy wed
John Connolly and Nancy Kenny are happy to announce their elopement and marriage in Las
Vegas, September 12, 2006.
We Made a Baby II, The Sequel
Anne Marie Scheffler and Dave Libbey are proud to announce a new brother for Nathan. Born
on January 29, 2007, Jake Robert Mark Libbey weighed in at a modest 9 lbs. 1 oz. Lights, camera,
action and push! And scene! The casting for this family is complete.
28
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
WHO’S WHO
ACTRA Toronto Council
Joanna Bennett V2W [email protected]
Brad Borbridge V1, 2W [email protected]
Bob Collins V2W [email protected]
Aidan Devine V1, 2W [email protected]
Ferne Downey V1, 2W [email protected]
Toni Ellwand V2W [email protected]
Dom Fiore V1, 2W [email protected]
David Macniven V1, 2W [email protected]
John Nelles V2W [email protected]
Tara Pearson V2W [email protected]
Priya Rao V2W [email protected]
Maria Ricossa V2W [email protected]
Wayne Robson V2W [email protected]
Anne Marie Scheffler V1, 2W [email protected]
Stephen Graham Simpson V2W [email protected]
Ron White V2W [email protected]
Legend: 1 U ACTRA National Councillor;
2 U ACTRA Toronto Councillor
Shereen Airth, Apprentice Chair [email protected], ext. 6621
Peter Lukashel, Apprentice ViceIChair [email protected], ext. 6616
Bob Grant, Apprentice Secretary [email protected], ext. 6617
Ed Pzytula, ACTRA Extra Chair [email protected], ext. 6620
Paul Anthony, ACTRA Extra ViceIChair [email protected]
Larry Robertson, ACTRA Extra Secretary [email protected] actratoronto.com
Theresa Tova, Children's Advocate [email protected], ext. 6605
Jani Lauzon, Diversity Chair [email protected], ext. 6618
Sheila Boyd, AccessAbility Task Force Chair [email protected], ext 6619
Shawn Lawrence, Ombudsman [email protected], ext. 6604
Visit the ACTRA Toronto website at
www.actratoronto.com!
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SPRING
2 0 07
29
Wendy Crewson, Culture Champion continued from page 11
WendyCrewson CultureChampion
FD: What was your impetus to go to the
States?
WC: It was one of those moments that
happen in your life and you suddenly go
‘Oh, my God, I see clearly now.’ I’d done
Home Fires for all those years with proT
ducer Bob Sherrin and he was doing a
movie about a con artist named Betsy
Bigley VLove and Larceny, CBCTTVW. I’m
good friends with Bob, I liked him and I
remember going into Bob’s office all very
excited about this movie. I’m in this
plaid flannel muumuu thing and I said,
‘So, the Betsy Bigley story, I really want a
chance at this.’ I had a little campaign all
worked out and Bob sort of listened,
‘Well, Wendy,’ he said, ‘What part are
you thinking of?’ What part am I thinkT
ing of? I’m thinking of Betsy Bigley, I’m
thinking of the lead. His question
brought my world crashing down and I
went away with my tail between my legs.
I decided right then and there that if I
wanted to get parts in Canada, I’d better
get myself down to the U.S. and get
myself some work and get it together and
really sort of push it. I moved down to
New York right after that meeting.
FD: I have terrible stories of friends from the
‘80s who couldn’t get an audition at CBC teleM
vision in Toronto for a project shooting in
Canada but could get the audition in L.A. for
the same role.
WC: Absolutely, and I heard it right out
of the casting agent’s mouth that I needT
ed to get a bigger name in the States if I
wanted to get these leading parts at
CBC. And everybody in the States was so
enthusiastic U you went in for an audiT
tion, they couldn’t believe somebody
could act.
FD: What brought you back to Canada?
WC: Perry Zimel. When Sue Rodriguez
came up, he called and said ‘This is a
great project.’ He had just become my
agent. He sent me the script and some
research. I was so bowled over by her. I
started reading about her, ‘Oh, wasn’t she
born in Hamilton too, wasn’t she the
same age as I was, hadn’t she moved
down to the States and married an
American?’ I thought ‘I know this
woman.’ As Meryl Streep said, ‘She lives
in me. I know her, I understand.’ And I
thought, ‘I have to do this story.’ You
come in and audition like everybody else
and then you hope and pray. But I startT
ed preparing for it way before I heard I’d
got the job. I thought, ‘Because if I get
this job, I’d better be ready. I’ve told
30
A C T R A TO R O N TO P E R F O R M E R S
them I can do it.’ And then I get up to
Fredericton and I’m working with all
these people that I know and underT
stand, in a place where I feel so comfortT
able, it was really all those elements that
gave me that great momentum, that big
boost to do something.
FD: Do you have any favourite projects. You
have quite a big body of work.
WC: Ferne, I have a big body of work
because I am paranoid and because I
take everything, anything that comes
down the pipe! Lot’s of people don’t and
they have a very select and lovely body of
work and I’ve got a lot of things that I’d
never want anybody to see… ever.
FD: But you have some favourites?
WC: Oh, sure, I have my favourites. Jane
Doe, Sue Rodriguez, Louise Arbour. I
really liked Lorraine Evanshen in The
Man Who Lost Himself. My Canadian
movies are my favourites. You know,
everybody goes, Air Force One… not one
of my favourites, Santa Clause, no, not at
all, Bicentennial Man U I don’t think so.
Just let me say right now, I don’t think so!
FD: Is there anything you had hoped I would
have asked you that I didn’t?
WC: I have so much admiration for the
artists that we have here in Canada and I
have seen some riveting performances
recently that have inspired me. I feel forT
tunate to be part of this group U everyT
body’s maturing into their talent and it
has been really, really remarkable U espeT
cially the women. Martha Burns in the
play Mathilde was breathtaking; Vicky
Snow in the Walter Gretzky Story… just
fantastic! Cynthia Dale in South Pacific.
God Almighty! I was just knocked out at
the skill of that woman! Sheila McCarthy,
everybody just thrills me. I can’t wait to
go see the girls do whatever the girls are
going to do next: Fiona Reid, Susan
Coyne, Rachel McAdams, Allison Pill.
I always feel there is a tremendous kind
of support and empathy, considering how
tiny this place is, and how few jobs there
are. And truly, that’s the difference. I feel
like I’ve come home.
Ferne Downey is a
Toronto Councillor
and ACTRA’s National
Treasurer. She coTchairs
the ACTRA Awards
committee and is
smitten by Wendy
Crewson.
Wendy Crewson as Dr. Anne Packard and Dennis Haysbert
as President David Palmer in 24. Photo courtesy Global Television.
Wendy Crewson
selected credits
ReGenesis
Away From Her
The Robber Bride
The Man Who Lost Himself VGemini AwardW
Hunt For Justice:
The Louise Arbour Story VFIPA D’or Biarritz AwardW
Niagara Motel
24
At The End of the Day:
The Sue Rodriguez Story VGemini AwardW
Sex Traffic
Perfect Pie VZIFFT International Film Festival AwardW
Between Strangers
Suddenly Naked
Better Than Chocolate
The Many Trial of One Jane Doe
VGemini Award, Manitoba Motion Picture Blizzard AwardW
A Killing Spring
Due South VGemini AwardW
Getting Married in Buffalo Jump
Home Fires VACTRA AwardW
Special Honours
Gemini Humanitarian Award
WIFTTT Crystal Award
ACTRA Toronto’s Award of Excellence
As Jane Doe in
The Many Trials of One Jane Doe.
Photo courtesy Muse Entertainment
Photo courtesy Barna-Alper Productions.
Photo by Ava V. Gerlitz
As Lorraine Evanshen and David James Elliott as
Terry Evanshen in The Man Who Lost Himself.
Photo courtesy CTV.
Speaking to media following ACTRA’s
2004 election news conference to put
culture on the federal election agenda.
WendyCrewson CultureChampion
As Sue Rodriguez in
At the End of the Day:
The Sue Rodriguez Story.
Kisser Crewson at the 18th Annual
Gemini Awards with her Gemini for
Best Performance by an Actress in a
Leading Role in a Dramatic Program
or Mini-Series for The Many Trials of
One Jane Doe.
Photo courtesy Academy of Canadian Cinema &
Television. Photo by Kodak Canada Entertainment
Imaging / Narvali Digital Photography
SPRING
2 0 07
31
1925T2007
Charmion King! What to say about Charmion King? That she
was a queen? Many certainly would say so U I among them. She
was the best of friends to me and an everTpresent help in time
of trouble.
We met in the late ‘40s when she was on tour in a revue called
There Goes Yesterday. The company was in Toronto for the
Christmas break and I was just back from England for my first
Christmas at home in several years.
For some inexplicable reason, the stage manager did not come
back to resume the tour, and as I had just finished a show in
London in which I was both ASM and understudy, I was able to
replace him. So, some 50 years later, these are a few things that
I vividly recall about Charmion.
Charmion King’s career spanned almost 60 years. Though she
appeared in countless film, television and radio shows, the Grande
dame of Canadian Theatre always returned to the stage. “There is an
excitement in live theatre that doesn’t exist in other media,” she told
the Toronto Star in 1986. Born in Toronto, Charmion began her
career at The Crest Theatre. She worked at the Stratford Festival,
on Broadway and, most recently, with the Soulpepper Theatre
Company. She will be dearly missed by her daughter, Leah, and by
her beloved husband of 44 years, actor Gordon Pinsent. At the
request of the family, donations in lieu of flowers may be made to
the Actors’ Fund of Canada.
ACTRA Toronto Performers
625 Church Street, 2nd floor
Toronto,ON
M4Y 2G1
Printed in Canada
I know that she performed in 21 productions at the Crest
Theatre between 1954 and 1962, the most significant to her
future life being The Madwoman of Chaillot. Kate Reid, Barbara
Hamilton and I were the supporting females. Who should
appear among us and unknown to any of us, but a dashing,
attractive young buck whose name we were told was Gordon
Pinsent. Very shortly, it became obvious that vibrations had
begun to simmer between the Madwoman and the Newcomer.
We began to cluck about like overly protective mother hens as
we all knew that Charmion had been badly hurt on a previous
occasion and none of us wanted to see a repeat performance.
Well, so much for our concerns. Today’s Gordon and Leah
Pinsent bear witness to that!
As for me, I shall sorely miss those telephone calls: “Hello
darling, It’s Charm. Are you alright? I worry when you don’t
answer the phone.”
Love to you, dear one, from all of us.
Barbara Chilcott
Canada Post Corporation
Publications Mail Agreement No.
40 069 134